Friday, 6 January 2012
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Some parents may be looking forward to the time when their toddler becomes a preschooler, as they believe the period of the terrible-twos are officially over. But do you know that the preschooler stage is also filled with challenges and power struggles? The most common cause of these struggles is that preschoolers tend to want to do everything themselves, making it difficult to take care of their proper hygiene, especially.
For some reason, preschoolers would insist on feeding the dog themselves and picking out their own outfits, but it is hard to leave their personal hygiene to themselves, as they may not be fully capable of taking proper care.
Indeed, a growing child’s budding independence may be at play when he insists on brushing his teeth himself. But as a parent, you still need to remain highly involved to make sure enough cleanliness is achieved. The following are ways to help your preschooler develop the hygiene skills he needs:
1. Brushing his teeth – Truly, preschoolers would insist on brushing their teeth themselves, and they may actually look cute as they push the brush around in their mouths. Some of them may even succeed at getting enough suds to form. But how do you get him to brush long enough and strong enough? Experts recommend setting a timer for 30 seconds, and letting the child have a turn at cleaning. Some children who resist brushing altogether may enjoy using an electric toothbrush, especially those that come in his favourite cartoon character or play a fun song. After he has his turn, you can take over and brush all of his teeth. Make sure you get the back of his mouth, as he will likely not have reached it properly. Some parents also find that their preschoolers are more cooperative when they brush together, allowing him to brush the parent’s teeth while the parents brush his teeth. Then, have him rinse and spit the water out a few times.
2. Brushing her hair – Combing and brushing are not really an issue for boys, given their short hair. But little girls who love keeping their hair long will need to know how to get tangles out, or at least prevent them by regularly combing their hair. Typically, a little girl develops enough strength in her hands to brush her own hair by the age of 4. While she may not yet be able to pull her hair back into a ponytail, you can let her brush her hair before you do the ponytail for her. You can also let her spray on a bit of detangler and teach her to start brushing from the bottom up. She will soon understand that regularly brushing her hair translates into less ouch moments when her hair gets tangled, encouraging her to brush regularly.
3. Hand washing – This is a non-negotiable habit that kids need to be well-equipped to do. While washing in water is probably a skill that nobody needs to teach kids, washing well is a whole different story. Teach your kids to suds up for a considerable time by asking them to sing the alphabet song right after they squirt soap into their hands. He does not stop scrubbing until the song is finished. After that. He will need to rinse the soap away, and then dry his hands.
4. Cleanup after the potty – This skill takes a bit longer for preschoolers to master. It can start by teaching little girls to take a swipe with toilet paper after urinating. For bowel movements, though, show your little boy or girl how to take some tissue paper and use it to wipe on his or her behind; teach him to repeat it until the paper comes out clean. You can consider when to let him do it himself when an additional tissue test-swipe from you comes out consistently clean.
5. Taking baths – While preschoolers should not be left alone bathing, you can help your child get involved by teaching him to apply soap on his body. A fun game using “Simon Says” is a great way to instruct him which body part to hit next, also showing him that he needs to wash from head to toe.
These basic hygiene skills will definitely take some time for a preschooler to master. But once you start off with your child’s knowing you respect his independence and are working with him, you will find less power battles when you need some proper hygiene issues taken care of.
Basic Hygiene Skills to Teach a Preschooler
For some reason, preschoolers would insist on feeding the dog themselves and picking out their own outfits, but it is hard to leave their personal hygiene to themselves, as they may not be fully capable of taking proper care.
Indeed, a growing child’s budding independence may be at play when he insists on brushing his teeth himself. But as a parent, you still need to remain highly involved to make sure enough cleanliness is achieved. The following are ways to help your preschooler develop the hygiene skills he needs:
1. Brushing his teeth – Truly, preschoolers would insist on brushing their teeth themselves, and they may actually look cute as they push the brush around in their mouths. Some of them may even succeed at getting enough suds to form. But how do you get him to brush long enough and strong enough? Experts recommend setting a timer for 30 seconds, and letting the child have a turn at cleaning. Some children who resist brushing altogether may enjoy using an electric toothbrush, especially those that come in his favourite cartoon character or play a fun song. After he has his turn, you can take over and brush all of his teeth. Make sure you get the back of his mouth, as he will likely not have reached it properly. Some parents also find that their preschoolers are more cooperative when they brush together, allowing him to brush the parent’s teeth while the parents brush his teeth. Then, have him rinse and spit the water out a few times.
2. Brushing her hair – Combing and brushing are not really an issue for boys, given their short hair. But little girls who love keeping their hair long will need to know how to get tangles out, or at least prevent them by regularly combing their hair. Typically, a little girl develops enough strength in her hands to brush her own hair by the age of 4. While she may not yet be able to pull her hair back into a ponytail, you can let her brush her hair before you do the ponytail for her. You can also let her spray on a bit of detangler and teach her to start brushing from the bottom up. She will soon understand that regularly brushing her hair translates into less ouch moments when her hair gets tangled, encouraging her to brush regularly.
3. Hand washing – This is a non-negotiable habit that kids need to be well-equipped to do. While washing in water is probably a skill that nobody needs to teach kids, washing well is a whole different story. Teach your kids to suds up for a considerable time by asking them to sing the alphabet song right after they squirt soap into their hands. He does not stop scrubbing until the song is finished. After that. He will need to rinse the soap away, and then dry his hands.
4. Cleanup after the potty – This skill takes a bit longer for preschoolers to master. It can start by teaching little girls to take a swipe with toilet paper after urinating. For bowel movements, though, show your little boy or girl how to take some tissue paper and use it to wipe on his or her behind; teach him to repeat it until the paper comes out clean. You can consider when to let him do it himself when an additional tissue test-swipe from you comes out consistently clean.
5. Taking baths – While preschoolers should not be left alone bathing, you can help your child get involved by teaching him to apply soap on his body. A fun game using “Simon Says” is a great way to instruct him which body part to hit next, also showing him that he needs to wash from head to toe.
These basic hygiene skills will definitely take some time for a preschooler to master. But once you start off with your child’s knowing you respect his independence and are working with him, you will find less power battles when you need some proper hygiene issues taken care of.
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